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The Ancient Coin Collectors Guild has become a driving force in the ongoing effort to protect coin collectors and museums in which coins are stored from being forced to give up these items to foreign governments under the premise the coins are the cultural patrimony of the claimant nation. — Richard Giedroyc, World Coin News April 26, 2010

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China asks US to restrict imports of ancient coins

The People's Republic of China has petitioned the government of the United States to restrict the importation of antiquities under the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act (19 USC 2600, Chapter 14).Government of the People's Republic of China."

December 21, 2004

On September 3, 2004, the U.S. Department of State entered into the Federal Register a "Notice of Receipt of Cultural Property Request from the
Government of the People's Republic of China." The text of that notice reads:

"DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 4780]

The Government of the People's Republic of China, concerned that its cultural heritage is in jeopardy from pillage, made a request to the Government of the United States under Article 9 of the 1970 UNESCO Convention. The request was received on May 27, 2004, by the United States Department of State. It seeks U.S. import restrictions on Chinese archaeological material from the Paleolithic to the Qing Dynasty including, but not limited to, certain categories of metal implements, weapons, vessels, sculpture, and jewelry; pottery and porcelain vessels, sculpture, and architectural elements; stone implements, weapons, vessels, sculpture, jewelry and architectural elements; painting and calligraphy; textiles; lacquer; bone, ivory and
horn wares; and wood and bamboo objects.

Information about the Act and U.S. implementation of the 1970 UNESCO Convention can be found at http://exchanges.state.gov/culprop. A public summary of the China Request will be posted on the web site."

Requests of this type are considered by the Cultural Property Advisory Committee (CPAC), which advises the President on such matters. The Ancient Coin Collectors Guild will be presenting arguments to CPAC that coins are not, by design or definition, items of cultural property and should not be included in any restrictions deemed appropriate by the U. S. Government. Individual collectors who have an interest in collecting the coinage of China and wish to support this ACCG effort may contact the Executive Director, Wayne G. Sayles, at director@accg.us or by telephone at 417-679-2142.